Container vent valve



Nov. 20, 1962 E. M. ALKIRE ETAL CONTAINER VENT VALVE Filed March 15'.1960 INVENTORS E DM 0ND M. x? K/PE W94 TEE .5 725554. BY

% r roe/v5) 3,064,668 CGNTAHNER VENT VALVE Edmond'lvi. Alkire and WalterStrebel, Miiwankee, Wis; said Strehel assignor to said Alkire Filed Mar.15, 196i Ser. No. 15,157 6 Claims. (ill. 137-43) This invention relatesgenerally to container vent valves and more particularly to an improvedautomatic vent valve readily adaptable for use with any of the manytypes of containers presently manufactured.

A general object of our invention is to provide an improved automaticcontainer vent valve.

Another object or" our invention is to provide an improved vent valvewhich can be mass produced inexpensively and readily installed in alltypes of containers.

Another object is to provide a container vent valve which is of a designto permit stacking of containers during shipment.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved ventvalve which may be adapted for installation in the cap of a container,or in the top portion of a container.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved container ventvalve which will not only serve to permit ventiing of a container whilepouring liquid therefrom but also to continuously vent the containerduring periods of excessive expansion of liquids contained therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a vent valve whichmay be deactivated during initial shipmerit and readily activatedthrough the removal of a part therefrom.

According to this invention, a novel vent valve is provided forcontainers commonly used to store and transport comparatively smallamounts of liquids. The vent valve is designed for mass production andis comprised of four major parts. The top portion is provided with adome having a height corresponding to the height of the tiller cap onthe container. The top portion is provided with a central stem which isdesigned to fit into a hole in the top of the container; at central ventpassage is provided therein with two vent passages angularly disposeddirectly beneath the dome which join with the central passage. A matinglower portion is threadedly or otherwise secured to the stem of theupper portion. Depending from the lower portion is a ball receiving cagehaving a central hole of comparatively small diameter. A ball of a sizeto enable free movement within the cage is provided. When the vent valveis in an upright position, the ball will be disposed to close the smallhole in the cage. Whenever the container is tilted to permit pouring,the ball will move in a corresponding direction away from the centralhole and thereby permit passage of air into the container. Thus, a fullstream of liquid will leave the can. In the event that the liquidcontents of the can expand, the pressure built up within the can will besufficient to raise the ball slightly within the cage and permit passageof trapped air within the can upwardly and outwardly to atmosphere.Several means are provided for rendering the vent valve inoperativeduring initial shipment of filled containers, including an ring or aninner seal member. The vent valve is particularly useful on containersof a type used for transporting gasoline, oil, chemicals, and the like.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more fullyapparent from a study of the following detailed description and thedrawings depicting the invention. The accompanying drawings include thefollowing figures, to-wit:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the conventional rectangular containershowing the automatic vent valve mounted in the upper corner thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the vent valve assembly mountedin the top member of the type of container shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view of the vent valve assembly mountedin the filler cap of a container such as shown in FIG. 2;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same vent valve assemblyshown in FIG. 4 but provided with an intermediate inner seal whichserves to render the vent valve inoperative during initial shipment of acontainer and contents; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the overhanging dome portionshowing the O ring in operative sealing position.

The improved and novel automatic vent valve is adapted for permanentmounting in any one of the many types of containers or cans available inevery day household, commercial and industrial use. One type ofcontainer known to everyone is the one gallon metal can 10 shown in FIG.1; such a container is comprised of a single piece sidewall 11 havingbottom and top members 12 and 13 respectively secured thereto. A pouropening or nozzle 14 is disposed in one corner of the top member 13while a vent valve assembly 15 is securely mounted in the other cornerof the top member. The entry and pour opening 14 is threaded to receivea cap 16 which prevents any loss of liquid from the container duringhandling and shipment. The height of the pour opening 14 isapproximately the same as the height of the valve 15; this permits readystacking of the cans for storage, display and other purposes.

The vent valve 15 utilized for this type of container is shown in FIG. 3in vertical section. The top or main body 17 of the valve assembly maybe machined, cast or molded and is comprised of an upper dome 18 and adepending stem 19. The stem 19 is stepped to provide an annular ledge 24which is designed to bear against the top face 21 of the container top13. The stem 19 extends downwardly through a hole in the top 13; asealant may be used to seal the joining faces of the ledge 26 and cantop face 21. A central bore 22 is provided throughout the length of thestem 19; two or more drilled ports 23 and 24 extend from the upper endof the central bore angularly and outwardly to the underside of aprotective shoulder 25. The ports 23 and 24 each originate in the bottomof an annular groove 26 formed in the face of the shoulder 25. The totalcross-sectional area of the drilled ports or side passages 23 and 24must be equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area of the centralbore 22; this serves to insure full venting capacity under allconditions. When the main body 17 is initially installed in thecontainer top 13, an O ring 27 of neoprene, or the like, as shown inFIG. 6, is disposed between the annular groove 26 and the top face 21 ofthe can. With the ring 27 in place, a seal is established in a manner torender the valve 15 inoperative. In order to render the valve operative,a pull tab 23 on one side of the ring 27 must be manually pulled untilthe ring breaks and is fully withdrawn, or stretched sufiiciently topermit the same to be stripped over the dome 18 of the valve.

A lower collar or body portion 29 is provided with a fiat bearingsurface 30 which is disposed to engage the bottom face of the containertop 13 and provide a reasonably secure seal therebetween. The lowerportion 29 is provided with a central bore 31 Which is slightly largerthan the diameter of the stem 19; the diametrical difference in sizeshould permit a sliding fit therebetween. A mastic 32 evenly spread onthe shoulder 30 and bore 31 will serve to seal the collar 29 relative tothe bottom of the container top 13 and securely cement the collar l tothe depending stem 19. The upper and lower portions could also besecured together by means of a conventional pin or set screw (not shown)installation. It should be born in mind that the vent valve assembly iscompletely installed on the container top member 13 before the member isdouble seamed to the container body portion 11'. Immediately adjacent tothe lower peripheral edge of the collar 29 there is provided an annulargroove 33 which is designed to receive a similarly formed annular beador ridge 34 on the inner topmost edge of a cage 35. With a ball 36disposed in the cage 35, the latter is snapped into place in a dependingposition on the bottom of the collar 29. The head or ridge 34 isdesigned to permit sufiicient expansion when the cage 35 is attached tothe portion 29. A small vent hole 37 will permit passage of air orvapors through the valve whenever the container 1% is tiltedsufficiently in any direction in order to displace the ball 36 from thetop of the hole, or whenever sufficient vapor pressure builds up withinthe container to force the ball 36 away from the hole 37. It should benoted that the concave bottom of the cage serves to impart a constanttendency for the ball 36 to gravitate to a centrally disposed positiondirectly over the vent hole 37, as shown in FIG. 3.

After the vent valve 15 has been activated by the mannual removal of the0 ring 27, the entry ports 23 and 24 are angularly disposed so that theywill not admit water or other liquids via the valve into the container.This is the case even though the can or container 10 is exposed to theweather for long periods and water is permitted to collect to such anextent that it will completely inundate the can top and overflow an edgebead or seam 38. Even though the can is tilted when the top is thusflooded, the liquid thereon will not enter the port passages 23 or 24and possibly contaminate the liquid in the container.

Another type of container on which the automatic vent valve isparticularly adaptable is a utility container 40 such as is shown inFIG. 2. This type of container is generally round or ellipsoidal inshape and is provided with a pour spout 41 and a filler opening '42.Since this type of container is generally transported while filled withliquid such as gasoline, oil, and the like, the end of the pour spout 41is threaded to receive a cap 43. A handle 44 permits easy handling ofthe container 40.

On this type of container, the vent valve could be permanently installedin the crowned top member 45 of the container at a point marked X (see46) diametrically opposite the pour spout 41; in this case the threadedfiller opening 42 would be capped in the usual manner. The vent valvewould operate immediately upon the manual impartation of a tilt to thecontainer in order to effect pouring from the spout 41. The installationof a vent valve would need to be complete before the top member 45 wasfixedly attached to the body of the container 40.

On the other hand, an automatic vent valve 47 may be readily mounted ina cap 48 secured on the filler opening 42 in the manner suggested inFIGS. 2 and 4. The vent .valve 47 is identical to the vent valve 15previously described except for minor details. As shown in FIG. 4, thevent valve 47 is comprised of a dome-shaped top member 4% having adepending stem 59 which extends through a hole centrally located in thetop face of the cap 48. An annular gasket 51 provides a seal between themember and the face of the cap. The top member 49 is secured in positionby means of threaded engagement with a lower collar nut 52 having anupper shoulder 53 of sufiicient width to correspond to the diameter ofthe gasket 51. A set screw (not shown) bearing against the threadedportion of the stem 59 may be used to lock the nut and member together,or a mastic spread over the threaded stem may be likewise utilized. Thedomeshaped member 49 is formed with a vertical bore or passage 54 andtwo (or more) side vent passages 55 and 56 to permit free passage of airor vapor in the manner aforedescribed. A cage 57 fixedly depending fromthe bottom of the nut 52 contains a ball 58 which normally rests in acentral position directly over a vent hole or opening 59. Tilting of thecontainer forthe purpose of pouring will cause the ball 53 to bedisplaced whereby air from atmosphere may enter the can and therebypermit a full stream of liquid to flow from the pour spout 41. Or, withthe spout 41 capped while the container stands in storage and with thecap 48 securely disposed on the threaded filler opening, with anintermediate gasket 69 therebetween, the vent valve will permit anyexpanding vapors within the container 49 to escape to atmosphere andthereby prevented the build up of pressure within the container.

Utility containers and pour 'pail containers are often shipped initiallyfilled with some liquid such as oil, paint, chemicals, and the like, andconsequently the vent valve 47 must be rendered inoperable during theperiod of extended transportation. This may be accomplished by theintroduction of an inner seal 63, as shown in FIG. 5. The inner seal 63is an annular member which is press fitted into the filler nozzle 42 andwhich provides a temporary cap to close off the interior of thecontainer from the vent valve 47 Thus, while the container 4% is shippedwith a vent valve 47, the latter is rendered inoperative by means of theannular inner seal 63. After the container reaches its destination, theannular member or seal 63 is removed therefrom. The vent valve 47 willthen be rendered operable for all future use of the container, or untilthe member 63 is re-inserted.

From the detailed description of our invention the ad vantages of theimproved automatic vent valve should be fully apparent. Regardless ofthe selected position for installation of the valve on the containertop, whether flat as shown is FIG. 1 or crowned as shown in FIG. 2, thevent valve will operate whenever the container is tilted for purposes ofpouring liquid therefrom. The ball therein will immediately be displacedsufiiciently to per mit air to enter the container and allow a full anduniform stream of liquid to flow from the pour opening. 011 theotherhand, if the stored container is inadvertently displaced to aposition other than the normal upright position, the vent passageswithin the valve are sufiiciently small to prevent spillage orcontinuing leakage from the upset container. Further, if the containerand its contents are subjected to widely fluctuating temperatures, thevent valve will automatically operate whenever expansion of liquid orvapor within the container occurs; the auto-' matic vent valve willremain operative continuously to instantlyrelieve pressure and preventsuch pressure from increasing to a degree suflicient to strain or burstthe container. Extremely volatile liquids are particularly dangerouswhen stored in sealed containers under condi* tions in which thesurrounding temperature may increase the top is deluged with water suchas might occur'if the filled or partially filled container was exposedto the elements, the side passages 23 and 24 are disposed at such anangle that water or other liquids could not enter the container via thevent valve assembly 15. This feature is particularly attractive sincethe entry of a very minute amount of water into a container used forcertain chemicals might well contaminate the entire contents of thecontainer.

While the vent valve assembly is designed to prevent the entry ofcontaminating liquids, it also serves to prevent the evaporation ofvolatile liquids, such as gasoline and naptha, from the can. rate at anaccelerated rate if exposed to a considerable amount of air. The ballprevents the free passage of air while the container is standing still.The angular taper of the cage bottom 35 insures that the ball 36 willalways return to the central position whereat the vent hole 37'is Suchliquids will only evapoblocked to prevent air passage. The ball 36 isnot large enough to become jammed within any portion of the cage, ratherit is constantly free to roll depending on the angular position of thecontainer at a given moment. However, the angular design is such as willpermit the container to rest on a slightly uneven floor or surfacewithout causing the vent hole 37 to remain open to atmosphere because ofa displaced ball.

Further examples of types of containers in which the subject automaticvent valve could be readily used are: lug covered pails, tight headdrums, barrels, tanks, vats, and the like. It should be understood thatthe corresponding vent valve for such containers would be manufacturedin varying sizes and shapes, which would conform to a particularapplication and yet retain the essential teachings of our invention.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention has been set forth indetail in order to exemplify a practical apparatus. It is to beunderstood, however, that the particular structure herein described isintended to be illustrative only, and that the various inventivefeatures may be incorporated in other forms without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

The principles of our invention having now been fully explained inconnection with the foregoing description, we hereby claim as ourinvention:

1. A vent valve comprising a top member having a dome portion and stemportion disposed for insertion in a hole in the top of a container, alocking collar disposed for permanent mounting on the lower end of saidstem and within the confines of said container, a cage attached to saidlocking collar having a vent hole centrally disposed therein, a ballarranged for free movement within said cage and disposed to normally lieover the vent hole in said cage and block the passage of airtherethrough, a central longitudinal passage in said top member, and aplurality of angular port passages in the dome portion of said topmember joining with said central passage, whereby any tilting of thecontainer for purposes of pouring liquid therefrom will cause the ballto be displaced and permit the entry of air from atmosphere into saidcontainer.

2. A vent valve for a container comprising a dome shaped top memberdisposed for mounting exteriorly of a container, a stem portionextending from said top member and disposed for placement in a hole inthe top of said container, a locking collar secured to said steminteriorly of said container, a central vertical passage in the stem ofsaid top member, a cage attached to said collar and including acentrally-disposed vent hole in the bottom thereof, a ball arranged forfree movement within said cage, and a gasket initially disposed betweensaid top member and said container whereby the gasket serves to rendersaid vent valve inoperable while said container is transported filledwith liquid and which, when removed, enables the vent valve to functionautomatically and permit the entry or escape of air and gases from thecontainer.

3. An automatic vent valve mounted in a container and comprising a topmember, a dome shaped portion of said member providing a protectiveoverhang, a stem integral with the top member and disposed to extendthrough the top of the container, a locking collar secured on said steminteriorly of the container, a cage dependingly attached to said collarand having a centrally disposed vent hole in the bottom thereof, a ballcontained within said cage and disposed to normally rest directly overthe vent hole, a plurality of passages in said dome overhang and saidstem in order to provide ventage to said cage whereby air can freelyenter said passages and said cage chamber and be constantly availablefor admission from said cage member through the vent hole thereof to theconfines of said container whenever said ball is displaced or permit theexhaust of vapors from the container whenever the pressure interiorly ofthe container is sufiicient to displace said ball.

4. A container having a vent valve mounted in the top of the containerand disposed to provide automatic venting of the container andcomprising a container, an annular inner seal attached to said filleropening, a filler cap, a vent valve operatively mounted in said fillercap, said inner seal serving to effect deactuation of said vent valvewhile said container is in transport and filled with a fluid, and enableoperation of the vent valve after removal of said inner seal memberwhereby the vent valve can function normally to admit air to theconfines of the container when the same is tilted and simultaneouslyprevent the evaporation of liquid from Within the container.

5. A universal vent valve for containers comprising a main body having adome portion and a stem portion, a locking collar serving to engage saidstem and secure the vent valve to the container, a tapered cage securedin a depending position to said collar and having a centrally disposedvent hole, a ball contained in said cage and disposed to lie over thehole Whenever the container is in an upright position and to expose thehole whenever the container is tilted from an upright position, avertical passage in said main body stem, and lateral passages in thedome portion of said main body intersecting with said vertical passageand exteriorly exposed to atmosphere in a protected overhang of the mainbody dome, whereby the vent valve serves to admit air interiorly of thecontainer upon tilting, release excessive air and vapors to atmospherefrom within the container, and block the entry of foreign liquids viathe vent valve into the container.

6. A universal vent valve for a container comprising a main body havinga dome portion and a stern portion, a locking member serving to securethe body portion to the container, a tapered cage secured in a dependingposition within the container and having a centrally disposed vent hole,a ball confined within the cage and disposed to be over the holewhenever the container and valve is in an upright position and to exposethe hole whenever tilting occurs, said ball serving to normally closethe valve and prevent evaporation from the container, a central passagein said main body, lateral passages in the dome portion intersectingwith said central passage and extending to atmosphere, said passagesconnecting with said cage and operative to convey vapors from thecontainer and to block the entry of liquids from without the container,said ball being dislocated upon tilting of the container to open thehole to atmosphere and admit air into the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS527,726 Schneider et al. Oct. 16, 1894 623,334 Perkins Apr. 18, 1899875,316 Borland Dec. 31, 1907 2,113,454 Mitchell Apr. 5, 1938 2,359,427La Mont Oct. 3, 1944

